2011...A Great Year

This year, I managed to get it together.  Christmas cards are addressed and stamped and ready to go.  I opted to not write the traditional family letter, but instead sent our friends and family to the blog for our 2011 update.  Here on the blog, I feel a bit more comfortable bragging on my kids and telling the truth on how things are really going down!

Kunz Kidz Highlightz from 2011

Anna (4 1/2)

• Plane flight to Michigan with Mom and road trip all over the state meeting grandparents, great grandparents and aunts and uncles, and cousins!!
• Turning 4 and her very first trip to Build a Bear!  Being 4 also means attending preschool every single day.  This gal is a social bug and loves spending time with her friends!
• Music and Movement class where she was able to dress up in her leotard and skirt and wear tights all day long.
• Helping Mom plant and harvest a garden.  She could be found during the summer eating basil straight from the garden!
• Getting to know her Utah girl cousins!  Anna was able to see every single one of her 27 cousins in 2011!--that was until baby Kaitlyn was born in October.  She can't wait to meet her, too!
• Riding her very first roller coaster, The Ghoster Coaster (aka The Scooby Doo) and sitting in the front with her hands up the entire time.  She was so proud!

Evan (6 1/2)

• Playing t-ball for the Orioles and sliding into home base.  He came home covered in dirt after each game!
• Hiking, hiking and more hiking!  His two little legs took him to Delicate Arch, all over Goblin Valley, to the top of the "Y" on Y Mountain and through the hot Valley of Fire.  
• Mastering the art of playing games on our phones and finding every moment possible to sneak away and play video games.  We did manage to pull him away long enough for him to begrudgingly learn how to ride his bike--now if he could only get on it by himself!
• Growing an amazing 3 inches during his 6th year!  His large growth spurt was able to qualify him to make it on some of the smaller Kings Dominion roller coasters!  He was a happy boy!
• Visiting Grandma and Grandpa in UT.  We were able to spend 2 1/2 weeks in UT visiting family this summer.

Jared (9)

• With poofy unbrushed hair and while wearing sneakers, he reached the coveted 54 inches!  He has become a roller coaster junkie!
• Spending his birthday at Arches National Park and walking underneath Delicate Arch, although Landscape Arch was his favorite.
• Going to Kings Dominion 10 times during the summer!  His favorite thing was being 305 feet in the air while on the Intimidator.
• Having his Dad coach his baseball team.  He loves baseball and is a fearless natural at it.  Catcher is his favorite position to play.
• Feeding Atlantic sharpnose sharks while at Myrtle Beach.
• Memorizing facts and details about every roller coaster at Cedar Point.  Dreaming that he will one day be able to experience the thrill of it.

Tyler (11 1/2)

• Attending boy scout camp with his Dad and friends.  He was busy while there and earned 12 merit badges!
• "Graduating" from elementary school.  He earned the Citizenship Award (bragging here--only 8 kids in his grade earn this), all A honor roll and the President's Education award.  He works hard and it pays off.
• Goblin Valley was the highlight of his UT trip.  He loved exploring this large natural playground (we all enjoyed it).
• Starting middle school.  His calendar is now busier than mine!  Between French and pre-algebra studies, he's also filling his time with the robotics club, playing the cello and participating in the school play.  
• Thanksgiving break, Myrtle Beach, baseball season, mountain biking and trips to Kings Dominion were other highlights for Tyler in 2011.

Andrea

• Finally ridding myself of the awful cough.  I had sinus surgery over the summer and wow!  What a difference it made!
• Being able to see so many loved ones over the year.  I was able to see all of my nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents and even some dear friends.  Spending a whole week with my sister almost made me wish I lived in UT again.  Almost.   
• Family bike rides.  Pulling Anna along was tough, but I love that we have this activity to do together.  Biking to see the DC monuments was my favorite ride of the year.
• Baking cupcakes for a few weddings (and just for fun).  I still love doing this but have cut back because the sugar issue is reeking havoc on my children's teeth (and my waistline).
• Starting a new job.  I haven't "worked" in over 10 years!  I'm now teaching music at Anna's preschool. It's only a few hours a week, so it's a great fit for me and I love spending time with the children.
• Being released as our ward's Primary president (over the childrens organization at church) and being called as the Stake primary president (over the 10 congregations in our area).  Still not too sure how I'm feeling about this one!

Rob

• Spending the last few weeks of the year in Japan.  It's been over a year since he's been able to go back and he's missed it.  Hopefully, he's eating lots of good curry, ramen and sushi for us!
• Kayaking!  He spent the summer working on flipping his kayak in a friends pool and he enjoyed a few kayak adventures with friends.
• Boy Scout high adventure with the Varsity Scouts.  They canoed (Rob kayaked), rock climbed, went shooting and came home with tons of stories to share.  He's enjoyed working with this group of boys as their scout leader.
• Taking the kids rock climbing, mountain biking with the boys, teaching the family how to kayak, coaching the kids in baseball--being an all out adventurous, on the go father and husband.  Saturdays are always fun-filled around here!
• Working on his newest toy--a pop up trailer that we inherited from our generous neighbors when they moved away.  He has lots of traveling and camping dreams for us next summer (and as long as they don't involve sleeping in a tent, I'm on board)!
• Continuing to work at Lockheed Martin.  Travel this year has been a lot less, but the work load has kept him very busy.  Rob's job has been very good to him and we feel blessed because of all his hard work.

2011 has been an exciting year for us.  We will be ending the year with a winter adventure to New York City!  We are sad to see it go, but we are gearing up for an extraordinary 2012!  On the 2012 schedule so far...Tyler turning 12 (with family coming to visit), a family visit to Buffalo, a trip to Myrtle Beach, cub scout camp, Goshen boy scout camp, another high adventure for Rob, an outer banks beach vacation, Anna starting Kindergarten, many more trip to Kings Dominion, Jared's 3 day dream adventure to Cedar Point (!!!), my sister coming to visit, Tyler playing John in Peter Pan, etc...Hoping to rest up for 2012 during Christmas break!!!

Merry Christmas and Love from the Kunz Family to yours!